PRETTY THINGS "SAVAGE EYE"

Artist: The Pretty Things
Album: Savage Eye
Company: Swan Song
Catalog: SS 8414
Year: 1975
Genre: rock
Grade: *** (3 stars)
Condition: VG+ cover / VG+ LP
Comments: gatefold sleeve with original custom inner sleeves
Quantity available: 2
Price: $15,00

So how could you go wrong when the world's biggest, baddest, and best known rock band [Led Zeppelin] goes out of their way to champion your cause, even signing you to their own record label ?  Seems like it would be hard to do ...  but The Pretty Things managed to pull it off.    

 

Released in 1976, "Savage Eye" was their second release for Swan Song and teamed the band with producer Norman Smith.   Musically this one has always struck me as being kind of an aural mess.  You almost got the feeling they knew they were operating on borrowed time and needed to find a hit, or they were going to be commercial and artistic toast.  That sense of desperation came through on the collection's extreme diversity.  'Under the Volcano', 'Remember That Boy', and 'Drowned Man' all aptly showcased their rock roots.   At the other end of the spectrum, the glorious 'Sad Eye' and  the throwaway instrumental 'Theme For Michelle' were stark ballads seemingly intended to showcase the softer, more commercial band.  And in-between those genres you got stabs at pedestrian blues-rock ('My Song'),  Jeff Lynne-styled orchestral pop ('My Song'), and even 10cc-styled pop-rock ('Remember That Boy').  It certainly wasn't a bad album, but the thing was so inconsistent you can easily understand people's frustration with the band and why it gets so many lukewarm reviews.  To my ears it had enough top notch material to warrant the investment of time and energy in checking it out.

 

"Savage Eye" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Under The Volcano   (Phil May - Pete Tolson) - 6:02
 

Seemingly inspired by the Malcolm Lowry novel and Phil May's own childhood memories (not everyone enjoys a textbook childhood), 'Under the Volcano' started the set off with a sizzling rocker that had one fatal flaw - namely Phil May's horrible vocal ... Producer Norman Smith managed to make it sound like the band had recorded the vocals from a phone booth in a neighboring country.  That said, the rest of the tune had a slinky energy that largely made up for the sloppy vocals.   rating: **** stars

2.) My Song   (Phil May) - 5:12 
 

LOL - May's heartbreaking dedication to writer's block ...  Not sure who actually sang the tune, but the vocal was a bit rough (thing along the lines of Graham Nash with a head cold).  Opening up as a stark ballad, the song abruptly shifted into Jeff Lynne/Electric Light Orchestra territory, complete with elaborate and fully orchestrated arrangement.   Strange.    rating: *** stars

3.) Sad Eye   (Pete Tolson) - 4:31
 

Featuring Jack Green on lead vocals, 'Sad Eye' was a pretty, plaintive, and stark ballad.  Most of the arrangement was just Green with an acoustic guitar accompaniment and some spine shivering backing vocals on the chorus.  One of the prettiest things The Pretty Things ever recorded.  The song was also tapped as a British single:

 

 

- 1976's 'Sad Eye' b/w 'Remember That Boy' (Swan Song catalog number )   rating: **** stars

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.) Remember That Boy   (Phil May) - 5:04

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Back to full throttle, no-frills rock. that's actually always reminded mea bit of 10cc pretending they could actually rock out. (check out the weird little guitar refrain).   Not immediately breathtaking, but with a couple of spins the tune began to reveal it's charms.   Skip Alan's drumming was particularly good on this one.  rating: *** stars

 

(side 2)

 

1.) It Isn't Rock 'n' Roll   (John Povey) - 4:07     

Bouncing between music hall and conventional bar band moves, 'It Isn't rock 'n' Roll' probably wasn't going to appeal to hardcore rock fans, but I actually liked the oddball arrangement.  Surprising the tune wasn't tapped as a single.   rating; *** stars
 

2.) I'm Keeping'    (Phil May) - 4:04 
 

Admittedly a bit light in the concept department, but 'I'm Keeping' was a bouncy tribute to keeping bad, bad company with one of the album's sweetest melodies.  An album highlight.   rating:**** stars
 

3.) It's Been So Long   (Phil May) - 5:07 
Need to hear a breezy, bluesy ballad featuring Green on vocals ...  Well, here's 'It's Been So Long'.  Professional, but kind of plodding and forgettable, though the backing vocals were surprisingly sweet.  Always wondered about the strange almost Gregorian chants that were mixed way in the backing track. rating: *** stars
 

4.) Drowned Man   (Phil May - John Povey) - 4:23
 

Reportedly a tribute to a band roadie who drown in Greece, 'Drowned Man' was the album's best rocker. I've always loved the dark, heavy bass and Skip Alan 's martial drumming on this one ...  With May handling vocals, this was another tune with kind of a 10cc vibe.   rating: **** stars
 

5.) Theme For Michelle (instrumental)   (John Povey) - 1:59
 

Written by keyboardist John Povey, 'Theme For Michelle' was certainly an odd way for the band to end the album.  A fragile, piano-powered ballad, the brief track had a very Liberace/lounge lizard vibe to it.   You were left wondering if you'd somehow missed the joke.   rating: ** stars

 

 

   

MONKEES "INSTANT REPLAY"

Artist: The Monkees
Album: Instant Replay
Company: COLGEMS
Catalog: COS-113
Year: 1968
Genre: pop
Grade: *** (43 stars)
Condition: VG+ cover / VG+ LP
Comments: --
Quantity available: 1
Price: $30,00

Down to a trio following Peter Tork's departure, "Instant Replay" was clearly recorded under trying circumstances.  Mickey Dolenz, David Jones, and Michael Nesmith reportedly went into the studio without any material and basically took it from there.  Exemplified by some of the group photos on the back cover, the results made it clear the surviving Monkees weren't particularly happy to be with one another and were rapidly running out of creativity, let alone much enthusiasm for continuing The Monkees nameplate.  The collection featured a hodgepodge mixture of older, previously unreleased material with 'Tear Drop City' dating back to 1966, while ' I Won't Be the Same without Her' was recorded in 1967.  In contrast ewer efforts like Nesmith's ' Don't Wait for Me' sounded suspiciously like solo efforts (a la Beatles White Album).  As to be expected, Nesmith-penned country-rock efforts such as 'Don't Wait for Me' and the pretty 'While I Cry' provided most of the highlights. On the downside, Jones' MOR-moves like 'Don't Listen To Linda' and 'Me without You' were increasingly irritating, though his hysterical stab at hard rock 'You and I' was worth hearing.  Usually good for an enjoyable  track or two, this time around Dolenz's all-around weird 'Shorty Blackwell' took up way too much track time.  

 

I'd love to be more positive, but probably only of interest to hardcore fans ...

"Instant Replay" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Through the Looking Glass   (Tommy Boyce - Bobby Hart - Baldwin) - 2:41

I'm certainly not alone in thinking 'Through the Looking Glass' sounded a bit like a dosed remake of 'Cuddly Toy'.   The strange barrelhouse piano, acid-tinged orchestration, coupled with Dolenz's barely in-tune vocals made it a weird opener.   rating: *** stars
2.) Don't Listen To Linda   (Tommy Boyce - Bobby Hart) - 2:45

This was actually a decent enough ballad, but Jones' gasping delivery was so lame and vapid that he managed to reduce it to nothing more than MOR sludge.   Simply horrible.  rating: * star
3.) I Won't Be the Same without Her   (Gerry Goffin - Carole King) - 2:28

A rare vocal appearance by Nesmith who sounded a bit gruff, supposedly due to the fact he'd recently had his tonsels removed.  As I recall, the song was actually recorded during the sessions for their debut album but subsequently shelved.   It certainly had a pleasant Buffalo Springfield-styled folk-rock sound and left you wondering why Don Kirshner and company didn't want to hear Nemsith's voice on any Monkess tracks.    rating: **** stars
4.) Just a Game   (Mickey Dolenz) - 1:46

To my ears 'Just a Game ' sounded like a song fragment waiting to be fit into a true composition.  rating: ** stars
5.) Me without You   (Tommy Boyce - Bobby Hart) - 2:08

'Me without You' was a good example of the group being too cutesy for their own good.  The fact they seemingly ripped off a bit of 'Your Mother Should Know' helped a bit, as did a rather ragged guitar solo.  rating: *** stars 
6.) Don't Wait for Me   (Michael Nesmith) - 

The country-tinged 'Don't Wait for me' was a wonderful example of the direction Nez would go as a solo act    rating: **** stars

(side 2)

1.) You and I   (Davy Jones - Bill Chadwick) - 2:10

Hearing Jones try to power his way through a hard rock tune (well hard rock for The Monkees), was actually kind of interesting.  It certainly wasn't nearly as bad as you might have expected and certainly benefited from the brittle lead guitar provided by Neil Young ...  seriously !!!   (Jones and Mickey Dolenz collaborated on a song with the same title for the 1996 Monkees comeback album "Justus".)   rating: **** stars
2.) While I Cry   (Michael Nesmith) - 2:57

I'll keep my comments brief - simply one of the prettiest, most affecting tunes Nesmith ever wrote and the backing vocals were almost angelic.   rating: **** stars
3.) Tear Drop City   (Tommy Boyce - Bobby Hart) - 2:01

With Dolenz handling lead vocals, 'Tear Drop City' was another previously recorded castoff - this one dating back to 1966.  To my ears it sounded quite a bit like some of their earlier singles including more than a touch of 'Last Train To Clarksville'.   Certainly  not the album's most creative outing, though it was commercial in a retro fashion which probably explains why it was tapped as a single:

- 1968's 'Tear Drop City' b/w 'A Man Without a Dream' (COLGEMS catalog number 65- 5000) # 56 pop

YouTube has a clip of the trio lip-synching the tune for a 1969 appearance on the Johnny Cash television program.  Worth checking out for the velvet suits and watching Jones go spastic on the bass: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFyp_Xc6J9o   rating: **** stars
4.) The Girl I Left Behind   (Carole Bayer - Neil Sedaka) - 2:40

Seriously, what could you have possible have expected from the combination of a tune written by Carole Bayer and Neil Sedaka with Jones handling lead vocals.  Sappy schmaltz.   Yech.   rating; ** stars
5.) A Man without a Dream   (Gerry Goffin - Carole King) - 2:58

Another sappy ballad, but credit Goffin and King for at least crafting a memorable melody ...  always liked the punchy horn charts on this one.  rating: **** stars
6.) Shorty Blackwell   (Mickey Dolenz) - 5:42

Sounding like an odd mash-up of a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta and a sound collage, Dolenz's 'Shorty Blackwell' was weird enough to have fitted on "Head".  It certainly wasn't very enjoyable, though I would love to know what it was actually about.  The female singer was Dolenz's sister Coco.  rating; ** stars

WAS (NOT WAS) "BORN TO LAUGH AT TORNADOES"

Artist: Was (Not Was)
Album: Born To Laugh At Tornadoes
Company: Geffen
Catalog: GHS 4018
Year: 1983
Genre: rock
Grade: **** (4 stars)
Condition: VG+ cover / VG+ LP
Comments: original inner sleeve
Quantity available: 1
Price: $10,00

Geez, hard to believe it, but this may be the last album I bought after seeing an MTV video clip ('Knocked Down, Made Small (Treated Like a Rubber Ball)'.  1983's "Born To Laugh At Tornadoes"  is also one of the strangest, most varied albums in my collection ...  part of it is hyper commercial; part freaked-out weirdness.  Guess that's why it is a personal favorite.

 

This album has so much going for it ... How could you not be mesmerized by a collection that managed to collect Marshal Crenshaw, The Knack's Doug Fieger, MC-5's Wayne Kramer, Ozzy Osbourne , Mitch Ryder, and Mel Torme in one place?   That has to be one of the most impressive (and varied) collections of artists to ever work together on an album.  And then you got to the music ...  Sweet Pea Atkinson and Sir Harry Bowens brought the Motown-styled credentials turning in classic work on 'Knocked Down, Made Small (Treated Like a Rubber Ball)' and a remake of '(Return To the Valley of) Out Come the Freaks').  Elsewhere the Don Fagenson and David Weiss team demonstrated their flexibility across an amazing musical spectrum including '80s dance tunes ('Shake Your Head (Let's Go To Bed') and 'Professor Night'), '60s garage rock ('Bow Wow Wow Wow'), and power-pop ('Smile').  The album included a couple of just plain strange efforts that seemed there mostly to infuriated radio programmers ('Man vs. the Empire Brain Building' and 'The Party Broke Up').   One of my favorite '80s albums ...  hard to believe it wasn't a massive, massive hit for these guys.   

 

"Born To Laugh At Tornadoes" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Knocked Down, Made Small (Treated Like a Rubber Ball)   (Don Was - David Was) - 3:05

With Sweat Pea Atkinson handling the lead vocal, the soul-meets-rock mash-up results were staggering. I remember hearing the tune on the radio one afternoon and wondering who the world these guys were.  I then saw the MTV video and was equally stunned.  I may be way off target, but I always thought the tune was about spousal and child abuse and I remember the original MTV video (with some serious bad mid-'80s production work), having a plotline that seemed to support that contention.  The video was subsequently edited deleting the abuse part of the story,  Regardless of the song's intent, one of the classic '80s tunes.  By the way, YouTube has both of the promotional videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGgRipOH0nY  and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nqKOFNA6dg    The tune was tapped as a single:

   7" format:

- 1983's 'Knocked Down, Made Small (Treated Like a Rubber Ball)' b/w 'Man Vs. The Empire Brain Building' (Geffen catalog number 7-29407)

   12" format:

- 1983's 'Knocked Down, Made Small (Treated Like A Rubber Ball)' and 'Bow Wow Wow Wow' b/w 'Smile' and 'Shake Your Head (Let's Go To Bed)' (Geffen catalog number PRO-A-2079)  rating: **** stars

2.) Bow Wow Wow Wow   (Don Was - David Was) - 3:09

My goodness, say what you will about Fagenson and Weiss, you couldn't critique them when it came to their collective tastes in guest musicians ...  Mitch Ryder for gawd's sake.   Killer rocker that sounded like classic Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels and sounds as good today as it did back in 1983.   rating: **** stars

3.) Betrayal   (Don Was - David Was) - 3:02

The Knack's Doug Fieger ...  so you have to remember for a brief moment in time, Doug Fieger and the Knack were being portrayed as rock's saviors.   It seems hysterical (but then remember Klaatu was The Beatles in disguise).  Regardless, 'Betrayal' wasn't a half bad ballad with a catchy refrain and it was certainly better than a lot of The Knack catalog.   rating: *** stars

4.) Shake Your Head (Let's Go To Bed)   (Don Was - David Was - Jarvis Stroud) - 3:52

With a seriously bad '80s dance vibe, I've always wondered why this one wasn't tapped as a single.  Add to that Ozzy Osbourne and Kathy Kosins handled lead vocals ...   John Robie's synthesizer riff simply will not leave you alone ...   The track was released as a UK single in both 7" and as an inferior, remixed, extended 12" format:

  7" format:

- 1983's '- 1983's 'Shake Your Head' b/w 'I Blew Up The United States' (Fontana catalog number 864 100-7)

  12" format

- 1983's 'Shake Your Head' and 'I Blew Up The United States' b/w 'Listen Like Thieves (Giant Club Mix)' and 'Listen Like Thieves (Vandal Dub' (Fontana catalog number WASX 11)   rating: **** stars

5.) Man vs. the Empire Brain Building   (Don Was - David Was) - 4:00

Don and Don and their goofiest ...  Simply too new-wave strange for my tastes.   Imagine something that wouldn't have been out of place on a James White and the Blacks album.   rating: ** stars

 

(side 2)
1.) (Return To the Valley of) Out Come the Freaks   (Don Was - David Was) - 4:20

I've had nightmares where I was faced with the choice of having to save Sweet Pea Atkinson, or Sir Harry Bowens ...   truly a nightmarish scenario.   This was a remake of, the original ('Out come the Freak' having appeared on the debut album ...  This version downplayed the new-wave-ish edges for a smoother soul feel.  (The song also appeared in another arrangement on the next album.)  The lyrics were typically bizarre and disturbing, but the song was framed in a sweet, classic soul vibe that would have made Marvin Gaye smile with happiness.  Great tune and that I could happily hum all day long.    rating: ***** stars

2.) Professor Night   (Don Was - David Was - Felix Morris) - 4:10

Easily one of the album's most straightforward and commercial dance tunes.  Don Was' bass line was wonderful.  The song was tapped as a 12" UK released and a 7" British single:

- 1983's 'Professor Night' b/w 'Shake Your Head (Let's Go To Bed)' and 'Bow Wow Wow Wow' (Geffen catalog number TA 4412)

- 1983's 'Professor Night ' b/w 'Bow Wow Wow Wow' (Geffen catalog number A4412)

3.) The Party Broke Up   (Don Was - David Was) - 2:14

Two minutes of bizarre spoken word material ...   Fred Schneider and company on a bad acid trip ?   This was probably the song that sent radio station owners running for cover ....   rating: ** stars

4.) Smile   (Don Was - David Was) - 3:12

With Fieger again handling lead vocals, I'm not sure how to describe 'Smile' other than to say it was near perfect power pop ...  It's the kind of track Marshall Crenshaw would have sold his mom to have written.   Easy to understand why it was tapped as a single:

- 1983's 'Smile' b/w 'The Party Broke Up' (Geffen catalog number 7-29477)

5.) Zaz Turned Blue   (Don Was - David Was) - 4:18

I can't help but smile every time I hear the torch ballad 'Zaz Turned Blue'.  No idea if it was really about asphyxiophilia, but if it was Mel Torme sang it with a sense of class that's all but disappeared from modern music.  Always wondered how and why they chose Torme for the tune ...  rating: **** stars

 

TUCKY BUZZARD "ALLRIGHT ON THE NIGHT"

Artist: Tucky Buzzard
Album: Allright In the Night
Company: Passport
Catalog: PPS 97001
Year: 1973
Genre: rock
Grade: *** (3 stars)
Condition: VG+ cover / VG+ LP
Comments: --
Quantity available: 1
Price: $15,00

So what if Tucky Buzzard and their management company couldn't spell to save their lives  ...  Seriously, did they really mean to spell it "Allright"  ?  Back to school guys ...   

 

Produced by longtime mentor/supporter Bill Wyman, 1973's "Allright On the Night" stood as their fourth studio album.  Curiously, it seems to be considered one of  their weakest releases.   Where that reputation comes from is a mystery to me since I love about two thirds of the collection - imagine having that kind of batting average.   Anyhow, if you're buying a Tucky Buzzard album, or reading a Tucky Buzzard related review, chances are you already knew what to expect.    Beautiful melodies, sophisticated lyrics, delicate arrangements ...   NOT.   Musically it wasn't a major departure from their earlier work.  Sure, this time out there were a couple of adjustments to the sound.  The horns that populated some of the earlier releases were largely gone (good thing).  This time around the material was less blues based (also good).  In fact, those rockers provided the album highlights.  'Rainbow Rider' was simply one of the best rockers they ever recorded and a missed opportunity for radio dominance.  Almost as good were the opener 'Can't Live without It' and the breezy Faces-like 'Rudie the Movie Star'.   Terry Taylor may not have been the world's most original guitarist, but his playing was always tasteful and economical - the man never wasted space with needless solos.   Similarly Jimmy Henderson wasn't the best singer you've ever encountered, but when he focused and avoided his over-singing urges, the man was impressive; check out the pretty ballad 'Gold Medallions'.  And then there was the band's overlooked catalyst - drummer Chris Johnson.   With the exception of a needless solo at the end of 'Last War' his playing was simply impeccable.  

 

I'll readily admit it took me a couple of spins to discover this set's charms, but if you were willing to devote the time, there were more than a couple of gems here.    

 

"Allright On the Night" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Can't Live without It   (Taylor - Jimmy Henderson - Dave Brown) - 3:59

'Can't Live without It' started the album with a full bore, no-frills rock tune.  Powered by Henderson's powerhouse of a voice, the song's slightly boozy edge has always reminded me of a cross between The-Stones meet The Faces.  Having listened to this tune dozens of times, let me tell you that the secret sauce came in the form of Johnson's cataclysmic drums.   Awesome performance.   rating: ***** stars

2.) Fast Bluesy Woman   (Taylor - Jimmy Henderson - Dave Brown - Chris Johnson) - 3:30

The acoustic opening was kind of interesting, but the song abruptly switched over to pedestrian English-guys-trying-to-sound-bluesy.  There was actually a decent riff buried in the song, but it never managed to escape the pedestrian melody and plodding lyrics didn't do much to help the situation.  Terry Taylor's slide solo provided the highpoint.   YouTube has a clip of the band performing the song for a 1972 appearance on German television's Beat Club: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt94UOT_odw   rating: *** stars

3.) Gold Medallions  (Taylor - Jimmy Henderson) - 3:26

One of the most commercial tunes they ever crafted - glorious melody with Henderson handling the vocals in a rather restrained fashion (well for Tucky Buzzard).  Curiously the US version was edited down by nearly a minute.   The track was tapped as a promo single in the States:

 

- 1973's 'Gold Medallions' (mono) b/w 'Gold Medallions' (stereo) (Passport catalog PPA 7901)    rating: **** stars

4.) All I Want Is Your Love  (Taylor - Jimmy Henderson) - 3:41

Slinky, almost Latin-rock sounding tune that was marred by one thing - Henderson's bizarre and highly irritating vocal.  He was clearly trying to get that effect, but you had to wonder why.   rating: *** stars

         

(side 2)
1.) Rainbow Rider  (Taylor - Jimmy Henderson) - 4:24

Hum, some tasty Johnson tribal drumming that opened up into a great little rocker that was built on one of those insidiously catchy little riffs Terry Taylor seemingly tossed out at will. Imagine a really strong Free tune.   One of the album highlights and you have to wonder why it wasn't tapped as the single.  I still occasionally find myself huming the refrain ...  rating: **** stars

2) Rudie Movie Star  (Jimmy Henderson) - 4:01 

Taylor's slashing chords have always reminded me a bit of Keith Richards playing  style and this breezy rocker had the same kind of grit the best Stones tunes exhibited.  The title was dumb, but try sitting still through this one.  Another great tune with kudos to Johnson's rock steady percussion.   rating: **** stars

3.) Pictures  (Taylor - Jimmy Henderson) - 3:31

Darn, another nifty Taylor riff that crawls into your memory and overstays its welcome.   'Pictures' was a surprisingly subtle and appealing mid-tempo ballad with Henderson sounding fine, except when he hit overdrive on the refrain.  Taylor's wonderful solo was enough to make you overlook whatever other shortcomings there were.  rating:*** stars

4.) Last War  (Taylor - Jimmy Henderson) - 5:13

'Last War' started out sounding like it was going down a plodding blues-rock alley and while it was a blues-rocker, the emphasis shifted to the rock side ...  always liked the double tracked lead guitar and the apocalyptic lyrics.  On this song Johnson overplayed his hand - the end-of-song drum solo was simply unnecessary and the acid-tinged fade out sound effects were simply dumb.    rating: *** stars

 

   

BLOODY MARY "BLOODY MARY"

Artist: Bloody Mary
Album: Bloody Mary
Company: Family
Catalog: FPS 2797
Year: 1974
Genre: rock
Grade: *** (3 stars)
Condition: VG+ cover / VG+ LP
Comments: --
Quantity available: 1
Price: $75,00

Another mystery on Artie Ripp's short-lived and infamous Family label ...   As you'd expect from a label notorious for abusing its artists, 1974's "Bloody Mary" carried little in the way of credits.   If you trust the liner notes, the album was recorded at UltraSonic Studios in new York with Vinny Testa producing and Ray Incorbaia shown as associate producer.  There were no performance credits and all seven compositions were credited to Bloody Mary.

 

Musically this was decent, professional early-'70s hard rock that bore some comparison to the likes of Bull Angus, Deep Purple, Judas Priest (?), and maybe even a bit or Uriah Heep thrown in the mix.  Tracks like 'Highway', 'Riddle of the Sea, and 'You Only Got Yourself' featured lots of decent guitar and keyboard interplay. That said, there wasn't a great deal of originality across these grooves and the lead singer's arch, occasionally screechy voice was best described as an acquired taste.  The thing is, these guys were actually quite good; especially if you were willing to invest more than a quick spin to check the album out   Yeah, he was a bit heavy handed, but the lead singer was quite talented with the rest of the band showing an unexpected knack for sweetening the mix with nice harmony vocals (check out the opening rocker 'Dragon Lady').   The rest of the band were equally good with the lead guitarist deserving special mention for consistently impressive contributions to the set.   Standouts ?   Hard to pick them on this one ,but I'd give the nod to the opening rocker 'Dragon Lady' and 'Riddle of the Sea'.   As an aside, the album may have been released in 1974, but to my ears it certainly sounded like something recorded at least a couple of years earlier. 

 

"Bloody Mary" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Dragon Lady   (Bloody Mary) - 5:10

Based on everything I'd read, I have to admit the percussion heavy opening came as a surprise to my ears, but once the lead guitar and keyboards kicked in (along with the screeching lead vocals), I felt more comfortable with the collection's hard rock reputation.   The opener actually boasted what may have been the album's best melody.   rating: **** stars

2.) Highway   (Bloody Mary) - 2:51

'Highway' found the band playing it funky - well as funky as a bunch of New York white guys could get. The funny thing is the track was build on a really catchy melody.  It didn't immediately reveal itself, but after a couple of spins it wouldn't leave you alone..   rating: *** stars

3.) Riddle of the Sea   (Bloody Mary) - 4:08

Complete with acoustic guitars, harmony vocals, and an unexpected degree of subtlety, the ballad  'Riddle of the Sea' was a major surprise to my ears.  Add in some progressive leanings  (at least until two minutes into the tune), and you had one of the album highlights.   The accompanying guitar solo was certainly tasteful and one of the best things on the collection.   The other thing that was funny about this one was that it wouldn't have sounded out of place on a mid-'80s hair band album - imagine something a band like Warrant or Whitesnake might have recorded.    rating: **** stars

4.) Free and Easy   (Bloody Mary) - 5:10

The band at their most progressive ....   To be honest, the vocal performance on 'Free and Easy' has always reminded me a bit of Jack Bruce (not a good thing), though that was overshadowed by some wonderful lead guitar.  rating: *** stars

 

(side 2)
1.) You Only Got Yourself   (Bloody Mary) - 7:01

Another track that initially didn't do a lot for me, but eventually grew on me ...   'You Only Got Yourself' found the band adding a jazzy edge to the proceedings with the singer toughening up his voice (sounded like he'd been gargling with pebbles).   Another one that showcased the band's nice group harmonies.   I would have given it another star, but for the fact it was just too long at seven minutes.   rating: *** stars

2.) Can You Feel It (Fire)   (Bloody Mary) - 5:37

Conventional frenetic hard rock with a touch of Santana-influence embedded throughout (guess it was the heavy percussion), and the addition of some surprisingly commercial harmony vocals ...  Not sure why, but I've always liked this one.  Where's Arthur "King of Fire" Brown when you needed him ?    rating: **** stars

3.) I Hear the Music Playing   (Bloody Mary) - 4:51

Opening a song with some classically inspired piano was certainly a change of pace for the band.  In fact,  In fact, starting out as a highly melodic power ballad, 'I Hear the Music Playing' was a complete surprise.  Yeah, the song eventually found them returning to their rock roots.  Great lead guitar on this one.   rating: *** stars

 

 

For folks into conspiracy theories, I'd personally ignore any suggestion this was a late inning version of Sir Lord Baltimore ...   The fact that Sir Lord Baltimore drummer John Garner has gone on record as saying this wasn't them should put that story to rest.